First few Article Sentences
Modern historical scholars no longer describe the fifth through fifteenth centuries as the “Dark Ages,” a time previously associated with demographic, cultural and economic deterioration in Western Europe following the decline of the Roman Empire. With the passage of time – years or even decades – comes clarity and an opportunity to gain a better understanding. Perhaps future historians will write with greater conviction about a real “Dark Ages,” the beginning of which occurred sometime during the twentieth century.
The decline of modern civilization did not start with the onset of a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), more commonly known as COVID-19. Instead, the efficacy of this global pandemic more likely resulted from a deterioration in society that began decades before.